Decorative cover for dispensing and at least partially concealing a roll of a flexible sheet material

Abstract

A decorative cover for containing a roll of a flexible sheet material, such as a paper web product, and dispensing lengths of the flexible sheet material from the roll. The decorative cover includes a tubular sidewall with opposite open ends through either of which the roll may be inserted into an at least partially concealed position within the sidewall and a longitudinal slot through which the paper web product may be dispensed from the roll when the roll is positioned in the at least partially concealed position.

1. A cover for a roll of a paper web product, the roll having an upper curved surface, the cover comprising:
 a shell having a tubular sidewall extending between a first open end surrounded by a first rim and a second open end surrounded by a second rim, each of said first and second open ends being unoccluded for moving the roll of the paper web product into an at least partially concealed position inside said tubular sidewall, and said tubular sidewall having an interior surface configured to continuously contact the upper curved surface of the roll as the roll is unwound; and 
 a longitudinal slot defined in said tubular sidewall and extending generally between said first and second open ends, said longitudinal slot for accessing the at least partially concealed position inside said tubular sidewall, said longitudinal slot bounded by a first edge and a second edge, said first edge being separated from said first rim by a first portion of said tubular sidewall, and said second edge being separated from said second rim by a second portion of said tubular sidewall. 
 
   
   
     2. The cover of  claim 1  wherein said tubular sidewall is cylindrical and has a diameter greater than a diameter of the roll of the paper web product. 
   
   
     3. The cover of  claim 1  wherein said longitudinal slot extends for a distance at least equal to a width of the paper web product. 
   
   
     4. The cover of  claim 1  wherein said longitudinal slot is arcuate and substantially rectangular. 
   
   
     5. The cover of  claim 4  wherein said longitudinal slot has a first dimension measured in a circumferential direction equal to about 2 inches and a second dimension measured in a direction between said first and second edges equal to about 4½ inches. 
   
   
     6. The cover of  claim 4  wherein said tubular sidewall is annular, and said tubular sidewall has a first dimension between said first and second rims equal to about 5½ inches and at least one of said first and said second rims has a diameter equal to about 4¾ inches. 
   
   
     7. The cover of  claim 1  wherein said cover is free of moving mechanical components. 
   
   
     8. The cover of  claim 1  wherein said tubular sidewall contacts the roll when the roll is in the at least partially concealed position inside said tubular sidewall. 
   
   
     9. The cover of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a plurality of circumferential ribs projecting inwardly from said tubular sidewall, said circumferential ribs contacting the roll for spacing said tubular sidewall from the roll. 
 
   
   
     10. The cover of  claim 1  wherein said tubular shell fully conceals the roll when the roll is located in the at least partially concealed position inside said sidewall. 
   
   
     11. The cover of  claim 1  wherein said tubular shell comprises an opaque polymer. 
   
   
     12. The cover of  claim 1  wherein said open ends are dimensioned and shaped geometrically for inserting the roll to the at least partially concealed position inside said sidewall. 
   
   
     13. The cover of  claim 1  wherein said first portion of said tubular sidewall is a first strip of a material constituting said tubular sidewall and said second portion of said tubular sidewall is a second strip of said material constituting said tubular sidewall. 
   
   
     14. The cover of  claim 1  wherein said tubular sidewall has an interior surface facing the roll of the paper web product and an exterior surface opposite to said interior surface, said longitudinal slot extending between said interior and exterior surfaces. 
   
   
     15. The cover of  claim 14  further comprising:
 a surface finish on the exterior surface. 
 
   
   
     16. The cover of  claim 1  wherein said tubular sidewall is annular with a curved interior surface and a curved exterior surface, said longitudinal slot extending between said curved interior and exterior surfaces. 
   
   
     17. A cover for a roll of a paper web product, the roll supported on a spindle, the cover comprising:
 a shell having a tubular sidewall extending between a first open end surrounded by a first rim and a second open end surrounded by a second rim, each of said first and second open ends being unoccluded for moving the roll of the paper web product into an at least partially concealed position inside said tubular sidewall, and said tubular sidewall contacting the roll such that said shell is supported by the spindle as the roll is unwound; and 
 a longitudinal slot defined in said tubular sidewall and extending generally between said first and second open ends, said longitudinal slot for accessing the at least partially concealed position inside said tubular sidewall, said longitudinal slot bounded by a first edge and a second edge, said first edge being separated from said first rim by a first portion of said tubular sidewall, and said second edge being separated from said second rim by a second portion of said tubular sidewall. 
 
   
   
     18. A cover for a roll of a paper web product, the roll supported on a spindle coupled with a wall bracket, the cover comprising:
 a shell having a tubular sidewall extending between a first open end surrounded by a first rim and a second open end surrounded by a second rim, each of said first and second open ends being unoccluded for moving the roll of the paper web product into an at least partially concealed position inside said tubular sidewall, and said tubular sidewall contacting the roll such that said shell is suspended by the spindle from the wall bracket as the roll is unwound; and 
 a longitudinal slot defined in said tubular sidewall and extending generally between said first and second open ends, said longitudinal slot for accessing the at least partially concealed position inside said tubular sidewall, said longitudinal slot bounded by a first edge and a second edge, said first edge being separated from said first rim by a first portion of said tubular sidewall, and said second edge being separated from said second rim by a second portion of said tubular sidewall.